Anne
by Jinxd n cursed
Summary: A girl from Jack's past shows up in Tortuga after being apart for 12 years. Only they now about each other's true pasts. Will they be able to push past what they lost to find love again? JackOC
1. Chapter One: Reunited

            She didn't look like the other women of Tortuga. Her clothes weren't cut to draw a man's attention to her assets. No rogue accented her elegant cheekbones, wide blue eyes, or full lips. Her dark curls weren't styled in a fancy updo but were instead braided tightly and laden with layers of salt from the sea air. But what set her apart the most was the fact that she wasn't a pirate's lass, one to come home to and slake their lust. No, she was a pirate, a rum drinking, 

plundering scallywag.

            "What'll it be Anne? The usual?" the barmaid Joanne asked. 

            "Aye, Joanne," she said. 

            Joanne busied herself behind the counter, pouring two shots of rum into a mug and mixing it with apple juice and vodka. 

            "How long are you in town for Anne?" she questioned, handing the other woman her drink. 

            "As long as it takes me to find a ship and a crew or at least someone to sail with," Anne answered, taking a long slow gulp of her drink. 

            "You'll be hard pressed to find anyone who'll take to having a woman for a captain Anne," Joanne told her, wiping out some of the empty glasses she had just washed. "Or a captain willing to take you on board for that matter." 

            "Really?" she asked. "No one will want the infamous Anna Catherine Tailor?" 

            "Well you know the superstitions Anne," Joanna reminded her. "'Tis bad luck to have a woman aboard." 

            "And you know as well as I that it is not true," she answered, taking another gulp of her drink. 

            "Whatever you say," Joanna said, shaking her head. 

********************************************************************************************

            He watched her from the corner as she talked to the barmaid and gulped some vile concoction of rum and apple juice and vodka. Even in a torn white shirt, dirty brown trousers several sizes too big for her, and a pair of tall black leather boots, she still held the image of a beautiful girl. 

            Of course, he knew she was much, much more than that. She was Anna Tailor, one of the few pirate women worth their salt. Once upon a time, they had been on the crew of the same ship until she left to find her own ship. Soon after, he had become captain of the Black Pearl. Twelve years ago that had been. Anne was four years younger than him and had been sixteen when she left for her own ship. 

            Those twelve years had done the woman good. Instead of being the skinny, waif-ish girl she had been then, she was tall with a slender waist and amply endowed breasts. Her girlishly innocent face had matured over the years to the strong, stubborn, and yet beautiful woman she had become. 

            Last he had heard of her, she was sailing the Caribbean with a small crew on a ship called Perseverance that she had commandeered from the French fleet and reeking havoc on the Caribbean islands. Obviously, something had gone wrong if she was sitting in a Tortuga bar, looking to commandeer a new ship and a crew or hop on the next ship out. 

            Making up his mind, he stood up to walk over to her. 

            "Hello Anne." 

********************************************************************************************

            She spun around quickly to see the man standing behind her. Realizing whom it was, she just stared. 

            "What?" he asked. "No big hello for your old friend Jack?" 

            "Sorry," she apologized. "It's been how long, Jack? Twelve years?" 

            "To the day," he said, sitting down on bar stool next to hers. "So how are you Anne? Still preying on the Caribbean's larger ports?" 

            "I've been sidelined as you've probably heard," she answered. 

            "No I haven't," he replied. 

            She sighed. "I had a mutiny. My crew decided they were sick of getting treasure and left me on some god-forsaken spit of land. Thank the lord the rum runners are still using it for a cache even if the trees and everything are half burned down for some reason." 

            Jack grinned. "Oh that was my doing if it's the island I'm thinking of. They're still using it?" 

            She nodded, signaling to Joanne that she needed another drink. "So now I'm in the market for a new ship and crew." 

            "That'll be hard to find love," he told her. "Not many will take a woman on board, much less as a captain." 

            "I'm aware of this," she snapped, taking a gulp from the drink Joanna had just handed her. "But I know of a few who will." She sighed. "Although at this point, I'd rather have _my _ship back." 

            "I know what you mean love," he said. "I had a mutiny myself about ten years back." 

            "Barbossa?" she questioned. "I heard about that," she continued at his nod. "I told you he was evil, Jack, but did you listen? No." 

            "Sorry 'bout that love," he said. "But do you really want to bring that up now when I'm about to make you a proposition?"  
            "What kind of proposition?" she asked, somewhat suspiciously. "I know your reputation around Tortuga, Jack Sparrow, and if you think for even one second I'm going to—"

            "No! No! Not that love," he said. "I know you're not that kind of girl. No, I was suggesting you come on board the Black Pearl." 

            "And what's in it for me?" she questioned. "Or you for that matter. You never do anything unless you get something out of it." 

            "Well Anne, you get room, board, and food on a ship by working as part of the crew on the Pearl," he told her. "And we'll be on the look out for your little ship. As for me." He smirked at her. "Well I get to enjoy the company of an old friend and one more person to share the labor with." 

            "I want either my own cabin or at bare minimum, approval over who I'm rooming with," she told him. 

            "Aye Love," he said. "Do we have an accord?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to shake on the agreement. 

            "Yes Captain Sparrow, I believe we have an accord," she replied, firmly shaking his hand. 

********************************************************************************************

            Anne had a killer hangover when she stepped on board the Black Pearl the next morning. 

            "Morning Anne," Jack greeted her as she stepped on board. 

            "There's no need to shout Jack," she mumbled. 

            "How many drinks did you have last night?" he asked.

            "Eight? Nine maybe?" she told him, rubbing her temples. 

            "Damn," he replied. "And yet you still remained coherent and upright. You could drink the tails of any of my men love." 

            "Oh shut up Jack," she grumbled, pushing past him, the few possessions she owned strapped in a knapsack on her back. 

            "Aye, Love," he said. "Being as you're not fit to be doing any work with a hangover like that, I suggest you get some sleep." 

            "And where do you propose I do this?" she questioned. 

            "In my cabin for now love. The rest of the crew is moving about everywhere else," he told her. 

            "Thank you Jack," she mumbled in gratitude as she stumbled across the deck and to his quarters. 

            "Whose that?" Anamaria asked curiously. 

            "Anna Tailor," Jack told her. 

            "Anne Tailor?" she replied incredulously. "Anne Tailor? The girl captain who raided Nassau port? The girl who has 15 million shillings worth of plunder to her name? Anne Tailor who stole your heart and left twelve years ago? You cannot be speaking of that Anne Tailor Jack." 

            "Aye," he said. "The very same." 

            Anamaria shook her head. "Ye be mad Jack Sparrow." 

            "Perhaps," he replied. "But then so is she." 

********************************************************************************************

            An hour or two later, Anne appeared back on deck, looking less green and in better spirits. She leaned against the railing at the bow of the ship. 

            "Better now Love?" Jack asked, coming up behind her. 

            "Quite, thank you Jack," she told him, looking out over the open water and sighing. "It's been a while since I wasn't under full command of a ship." 

            "Aye, lass," he said with a smile. "You always have talked too proper-like for a pirate." 

            "Simply because you chose to gave up your roots doesn't mean I have to," she replied. 

            "What'er ye say Love," he told her, really playing up his accent and pirate speech. 

            Laughing she pushed past him. "Now there's only one thing to do on a ship like this."

            "What's that love?" he asked. 

            She tossed a smile at him. "Learn the ropes." 

            "Have fun, Anne," he told her. "You know what you're doing." 

********************************************************************************************

My first attempt at PotC Fanfic. I hope it wasn't too awful. Anne is probably a bit of a mary-sue at this point but it shall change. Anyways, R&R and tell me if it's any good! 


	2. Chapter Two: Tangled

            Anne was up in the lines tied up around the sails, her favorite place to be. While most sailors balked at being up so high and dangerously close to falling, she loved it and relished in jumping lightly from rope to rope and swinging about while the other sailors just shook their heads at her. 

            "You're mad Anne!" a crewmember she'd come to know as Tim shouted up at her. 

            "It's impossible to be a pirate captain and be totally sane," she called back, swinging toward the main mast. 

            "You haven't changed at all, have you Anne?" Jack called up to her. 

            "In this way, no," she said. "I still love being above deck." 

            He shook his head at her from his position at the helm. She was certainly a crazy lass but he was far from sane himself. 

            "Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirates life for me!" she sang out from her perch slightly below the crow's nest. 

            "Definitely crazy," Jack muttered. Well, at least she was having fun. 

            "Whoa!" 

He turned at the sound of her scream. Anne was hanging suspended in the air upside down by one foot. One of the ropes of the ladder to the crow's nest had been wrapped around her foot before snapping, leaving her dangling precariously above them. 

"Oh fuck!" she cursed. "How the hell did I end up like this? And how do I get down?" 

"Anamaria! Take the helm!" Jack shouted, throwing his effects into the wooden box behind the wheel. If he was going to climb up in the rigging, he didn't want to be dropping things on his crew. 

            Carefully, he shimmied up the mast and perched a few feet from her on one of the cross beams the sails were suspended from. 

            He smiled. "I'm no sure if I should get you down, Love," he said. "It's rather amusing seeing you hanging there." 

            She shot him as dirty look as she possibly could with her fearful face. "Get me down or suffer the consequences Jack Sparrow! You know me well enough to realize when I am and am not joking and—ah!" She let out a shriek as gravity was working against her and she had slipped closer to the end of the rope. 

            Still smiling at her helplessness, he carefully grabbed the rope she was hanging from and gently pulled her toward him. Gathering her in his arms, he began carefully untangling her from the ropes. As soon as she was untangled, they began their descent to the deck. 

            "Next time you feel like swinging around on the rigging like Tarzan, you might want to strap yourself in, Love," he told her. 

            "Oh shut up Jack," she said. 

            "You weren't saying that a minute ago, Love," he said. He stepped very close to her so that his face was only a few inches from hers. With a smirk, he reached over and tugged on the hem of her shirt, the one that had slipped dangerously close to revealing her breasts while she was hanging upside down. 

            She glared at him, before turning away, blushing furiously. He'd seen more or less everything of her but they had been only fourteen then and in desperate need of a swim. She hadn't matured yet then either. Jack seemed to remember because he said, "Oh come on Love. It's nothing I haven't seen before." 

            "We were sixteen then Jack," she reminded him in a low voice. 

            "I know love," he said with a smirk. "All of you! Back to work! Except for my dear Anne that is." 

            She stared at him. 

            "We don't want you hanging upside down again, now do we?" he asked. "Oh you'll be doing work." 

            She glared at him suspiciously. She wouldn't put it past him to give her—

            "Kitchen duty," he said. 

            "I hate you," she grumbled before walking below deck into the galley to serve her duties. 

********************************************************************************************

            "Is that really Anne Tailor?" Mr. Gibbs asked Anamaria as the two of them adjusted the sails. 

            "Aye," she replied. "'Lest as far as Jack tells me." 

            "Why is she sailing on the Pearl?" he questioned. 

            "She had a mutiny as far as I've heard. Her whole crew revolted and abandoned her on the same island Barbossa left Jack on," she answered. 

            "That explains a lot," he said. 

            "Aye," she said, tying a knot in the rope. "She's as daft as Jack. Possibly more so." 

            "That she is," Mr. Gibbs said. "But she can handle herself and drink like a real pirate lass." 

            "Aye," Anamaria agreed. "I just wonder if things will turn out the same way they did last time. 

********************************************************************************************

 ~*^*~D*R*E*A*M**O*F**A*N*N*E*'*S~*^*~

            _I leaned against the railing at the bow of the Topper, staring at the crimson sunset. A few strands of long dark hair had escaped the orange bandana that was meant to keep it out of my face. _

_            "What's a lass like yourself doing on a pirate ship?" _

_            I turned to see a boy walking toward me. He had longish dark hair and deep dark eyes in a tanned face, and I guessed him to be my age, maybe a little older. _

_            "I'm a crew member just like you," I told him, turning back to look out over the water. _

_            "They took a woman on the ship?" he asked in disbelief. _

_            "Actually, they didn't know I was a girl until a few days ago when I got completely drunk in Tortuga and smashed a bottle on my chest. Not being well enough to do it myself, they had to fix it for me and discovered my little secret," I told him. _

_            He leaned against the railing beside me. "Interesting. I just joined the crew this morning after they found me in the water." _

_            "I know," I replied. "I was up in the rigging at the time but I saw you." _

_            "The name is Jack Sparrow," he informed me. _

_            "Annalin Catherine Tailor," I told him. "Anne for short. Some of the crew still calls me Andrew though." _

_            "Nice to meet you Anne," he said. "Where are you from?" _

_            I frowned. "I was a courtier in the English court until about two years ago when my father shipped me off to the Americas to found a colony. About two months ago, I ran off." _

_            "I see," he said._

_ I could tell he hadn't wanted my life story but had told him anyway. "What about you?" _

_            "Similar background," he said. "My father was the governor of a few colonies down in the western Caribbean. Pirates killed him and they took me with them. I jumped ship." _

_            "And now you're a pirate yourself," I finished for him, flipping a few dark strands over my shoulder. "So we're both blue bloods turned pirates." _

_            "It appears that way," he said. _

_            We were silent for a moment as we just gazed out over the sea. _

_            "I never thought I would ever be on a pirate ship," Jack said. _

_            "Nor did I until I needed to escape from that wretched life," I said with a shudder. "Needlepoint… eurgh!" _

_            He laughed. "I have similar notions about accounts," Jack told me. "My father made me learn them." _

_            I nodded, not really knowing how to respond. A breeze blew off the water and I shivered involuntarily as the air penetrated my thin shirt. _

_            "While I am risking sounding like a court gentleman, would you like my coat, Love?" Jack asked me, already removing the worn leather coat and placing it around my thin shoulders. It was way too big and I was sure I looked ridiculous in it but I was grateful anyway. _

_            "Thank you Jack," I told him. _

_            "Not a problem Love," he said. "Well, I best be asking Captain Smith what he wants me to do. Talk to you later." _

_            "Bye Jack," I said, hugging the coat around me as I looked out over the open sea. _

_~*^*~E*N*D**O*F**D*R*E*A*M~*^*~_

********************************************************************************************

            Anne woke up breathing heavily. She was bunking in the cabin next to Jack's by herself. She considered herself lucky because she had two windows and access to the balcony off the back of the ship. At the moment, she was panting and covered in sweat. While she hadn't had a nightmare, her dream had seemed so incredibly real as if she was living it again, as if she was sixteen again and living on the Topper as a crewmember. 

            It was early morning, probably naught any later than four thirty in the morning but she doubted she would be able to get back to sleep. Not bothering to put anything on under or over her large white shirt, she pushed open to door that led to the balcony and stepped outside into the cool morning mist. Leaning against the wooden railing, she looked out over the water. 

            "You know, you might want to get dressed before doing that in the future Love." 

            She turned to see Jack leaning against the railing just a few feet away. 

            "I'll consider it next time Jack," she replied coolly although suddenly painfully aware that her shirt exposed all but the very tops of her long legs. 

            "It's cold this morning," Jack said. "Aren't you freezing?" 

            "No," she replied indignantly although her quickly paling skin and shivering said otherwise. 

            With a smirk, he handed her his leather coat, the very same one he had given her twelve years prior on the bow of the Topper. 

            "Thank you Jack," she told him, pulling it around her. 

            "It might as well be yours, Love. You wore it almost as much as I do," he said. 

            "That was twelve years ago Jack," she reminded him, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She had been the one who left, after all. 

            "Really Love?" he asked in mock surprise. "I thought all that happened yesterday! I'm clearly losing my mind!" 

            "That you are," she said. "Even if you don't think all of that happened between us yesterday." 

            "Aye," he said. "But so are you. I wasn't the one swinging above deck like Tarzan, savvy?" 

            "True," she admitted with a smile. "And that would make you Jane." 

            "Careful Love," he warned. "One more comment like that and you'll end up in Davy Jone's Locker." 

            "I know you wouldn't Jack," she said. "But I've got to get dressed and dig up something in the galley for breakfast." 

            "Well, actually, I wasn't planning on giving you kitchen duty but if you want it," he said. 

            "No!" she exclaimed. "I was assuming you were going to give it to me." 

            "All right love," he said. "Now go get dressed. If you walk around the ship like that, all of the men will be on the lusty side." 

            "I can't have that now can I?" she said, walking back into the cabin to get dressed. 

********************************************************************************************

Comments? Questions? 

Oh, and by the way, I own nothing. The dude with big round black ears and a squeaky voice? Mickey, I think his name is? Yeah, he owns everything except Anne who is mine, all mine mwa hahahahaha! Anyway, no money involved. 

Anyone who reviews gets… a whole bushel of apples! 


	3. Chapter Three: Hurt

            Slightly to Jack's disappointment, Anne came above deck wearing the same white shirt and pair of dilapidated brown trousers she had worn for the past few days. If he didn't know better, he would have said they were the same pair of pants she had been wearing the day they met. The only real difference in the way she dressed was the color of the bandana holding her long dark hair out of her face. This one was purple, blue, and green patterned and looked as if it had come from India. The orange one she used to wear was upon his head. 

********************************************************************************************

~*^*~J*A*C*K*'*S**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~

            _"Come on Anne! I know you can do better than that!" I shouted. _

_            "And so do I," she retorted. "And you know as well as I that I can whip your ass with a sword and leave you begging at my feet, Jack Sparrow!" _

_            "Aye," I said. "Come on Anne. Just give me a taste!" _

_            I had been on the Topper for nearly a month and at the captain's insistence, I was learning how to use a sword. Anne had just a little more experience with a sword but she was obviously very good at it since she could already whip most the crew. Ever since discovering this, I was always challenging the younger girl to unleash her full fury on me. _

_            "A little," she said. "But if you get hurt it's your own fault." _

_            "All right then," I agreed, running my sword down the length of hers. "And… go!" _

_            She was amazing I had to admit, especially when she wasn't holding back. When I asked her to give me everything, I hadn't exactly been expecting this. All of my attempts were easily parried by her and met with her own attacks. For a minute or two, I managed to parry her advances but I was quickly falling behind tempo. _

_            "Giving up yet Sparrow?" she asked me. _

_            "Never!" I answered. _

_            She lunged, I attempted to parry but unfortunately, it didn't work and she slashed open my hand. _

_            "Shit!" she cursed, dropping her sword as I fell to my knees. _

_            "Damn it all!" I said, clutching my hand as it bleed profusely onto the deck. _

_            "Oh fuck!" she said, grabbing my hand. "I'm sorry Jack!" _

_            "It's—all right—love. It's—not—as bad—as—it looks," I managed to get out. _

_            "Don't play tough with me Jack Sparrow!" she scolded, dropping my hand to rip a strip of fabric from the hem of her shirt. Carefully, she tied it around my hand to help stanch the blood flow. "Get up," she told me. "I have some iodine in my room. We need to clean this out so it doesn't get infected." _

_            With a grunt, I rose to my feet and followed her below deck. She sat me down in a chair and got water, rum, and iodine. _

_            "What's the rum for?" I asked. "You're not going to get drunk on me are you?" _

_            "No, that's your anesthetic," she said. "Drink up." _

_            I tossed back a few gulps of rum, enough to take the edge of the pain, before she took the bottle from me. I realized the reason for dulling my senses when she poured the burning liquid into the cut. _

_            "DAMN!" I roared. "What the hell was that for?" _

_            "To sterilize the wound," she informed me, reaching for my hand and blowing softly onto the cut. It felt better almost instantly. Then she dropped a few droplets of iodine into the gash before ripping more fabric off her shirt and carefully wrapping it around my hand. "I guess I'll be needing a new shirt next time we go to port," she said with a smile. She removed the orange bandana that held her hair out of her face a wrapped it around my hand as well. "There you go Jack." _

_            "Thank you Anne," I told her. "But I told know if it's okay yet. You haven't kissed it to make it better." _

_            With a smiled, she kissed the back of my hand before getting up. "I'm going to tell Captain Smith to take it easy on you. If I don't return, he's thrown me overboard for injuring his best crewmember." _

_            "I'm hardly the best sailor on this ship, Love. I believe that honor goes to you." _

~*^*~E*N*D**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~ 

********************************************************************************************

            "Jack?" 

            He turned around to see Anne behind him with a slight frown on her face.

            "Yes?" he asked. 

            "There's land in sight," she told him. "Isla del Diamante." 

            He smiled. "Good. There's quite a treasure buried on that Island." 

            "No port though," she replied, leaning against the railing of the ship. 

            He looked at her strangely. 

            "I take it you don't remember Jack," she said. "I never did get that new shirt while we were on the Topper." 

            He smiled at her. "Oh I remember Love," he told her. "I'll tell you what. Next time we get to port, I'll buy you all the shirts you want." 

            "I don't need a shirt Jack," she said. "I have three. I need a ship." 

            He frowned. "You've only been on the Pearl for two days, Love." 

            "I know," she replied. "But I still like being captain a bit too much to stay on here for too long." 

            Jack fell silent. At that point, he was unwilling to let Anne go before he got a chance to ask her a few things.  He decided to tell her this. "I have a few questions to ask you, Anne. And you're not leaving this ship until you answer, whether on your own free will or if I have to tie you down." 

            "You always were a violent type pirate weren't you Jack?" she said. "I'm going to go adjust the sails. Don't worry, I'm going to tie myself in." 

********************************************************************************************

            Adjusting the sails was really just an excuse to get above the deck. Knotting a length of rope firmly around her waist, Anne climbed up into the rigging and tugged on a few ropes to make it look like she was doing something. 

            At first, she thought it would be simple to work as a crewmember on Jack's ship. 

            How naïve she had been. 

            Being on a ship with him brought back floods of memories from when they had been together. All the things that she had tried to forget for so long were coming back to her. 

            Climbing toward the mast, she parked herself in the Crow's Nest and sat down. The island was within sight and only an hour or two away. They were going for treasure, the piles of un-cursed gold, silver, and jewels hidden in the caverns of the now dormant volcano. 

            "Must you insist on staying up high and away from me?" Jack called up. 

            "Just admiring the view Jack," she shouted down. With a sigh, she got ready to climb down. Suddenly, an idea came into her head. Grinning, she untied the rope from her waist and tossed it down to the deck. With an impish smile spread broadly over her face, she grabbed hold of one of the ropes and swung out. 

            "Anne! Whatever you're doing, stop it right now and get down here!" Jack shouted up. 

            "Whatever you say Captain!" she replied, swinging away from the mast. With a shout, she left go of the rope and dropped into the warm turquoise water of the Caribbean Sea. 

            "Anne!" Jack shouted, while she was falling through the air. He shook his head. "You're daft." 

            Looking out over the water, he waited for her to surface. Ten seconds… twenty seconds… thirty seconds… forty seconds…

            "Anamaria, take the helm!" he shouted, placing his affects in the box by the wheel once again. Running to the edge of the deck he plunged into the water. When he was beneath the surface, he realized that they were only ten feet away from scraping into a jagged outcropping of rocks just below the surface of the water. Anne was a few feet away, unconscious and surrounded by a cloud of blood mixed in salt water. Seizing her around the waist, Jack swam back toward the ship. 

            The crew tossed a rope into the water and he grabbed hold, laying Anne's limp body out on the deck. She wasn't breathing and blood was coming from somewhere. 

            "Come on love, breathe!" Jack said. She didn't have a corset on so that couldn't be the cause. When he felt along her neck, he could feel a pulse so he pressed down gently on her stomach. 

            Sputtering, she coughed up water but didn't regain consciousness. However, she did draw a slow, rattling breath. 

            "Where is she bleeding from?" Jack said.  Lifting her up, he realized the blood was coming from a large cut on her stomach and a smaller one on the back of her head. Much in the way she had treated his hand twelve years ago, Jack ripped fabric from his shirt and balled it up to help stanch the flow of blood. The blood was not gushing in anyway so he assumed the cuts were relatively shallow. 

            The crewmembers who had gathered around looked at Jack and Anne uncertainly. 

            "Back to work," Jack told them, carefully lifting Anne in his arms. "Anamaria, make course for Isla del Diamante." 

            Carrying her down to his cabin, he placed her gently on his bed and began cleaning out her injuries in the same way she had taught him. When he poured rum into her wounds to cleanse them however, she began to stir. 

            "Damn it Jack. That hurts like hell!" she groaned. 

            "I imagine it would either way," he told her. "Why in hell's name did you jump from the bloody crows nest?" 

            "I don't know Jack," she said. "I just like to scare you. Like always." 

            "You're certainly good at it," he told her, brushing the hair off her face. "Just don't ever do that again. You could've gotten  yourself killed Anne." 

            "Yes Captain," she said, closing her eyes. 

            Jack continued to tend her wounds while she slept. He couldn't figure that girl out. She was certainly a fiery lass with a mind of her own and an eye for trouble. He couldn't ignore the tension between them after what had happened twelve years prior but he knew he'd figure things out eventually.

********************************************************************************************

            Grr to internet providers that don't work. 

            Rum, apples, and orange bandanas like Jack's for al reviewers! Cursed Aztec gold for all flamers… 

            I have had a few people inquire about the color of Jack's bandana. Being partially colorblind, it appears orange to me so I will call it orange in my stories. 


	4. Chapter Four: Diamond

~*^*~A*N*N*E*'*S**D*R*E*A*M~*^*~

            _"Anne?" _

_            I turned around to see Jack standing behind me. We were in the middle of the open ocean, late at night. He and I were on night watch to make sure we didn't crash into anything. _

_            "Aye?" I replied. _

_            He came up beside me and leaned against the rail of the ship. _

_            "Do you ever wonder what your life would be like back home?" he asked. _

_            "Sometimes," I admitted. "But I try to avoid thinking about it. I'm just glad to be here today." _

_            "True," he said. "I will never regret leaving." _

_            "Nor will I," I answered. _

_            But I knew it was only a matter of time before I left but regretted it for the rest of my life. _

~*^*~E*N*D**O*F**D*R*E*A*M~*^*~ 

            Anne woke up the next morning in Jack's bed. However, she was not alone. Jack was sleeping silently not even a foot away. While they had shared beds before, it still made Anne slightly uncomfortable after being away from each other for so long. 

            She tried to get up and get out of bed but when she sat up, she got a sharp pain in her abdomen where the gash was. 

            "Shit," she moaned as she sank back into bed. 

            Jack stirred beside her. "What's the matter, love?" 

            She just groaned in response. 

            "You're not getting out of bed," he told her, sitting up himself. "Not with your injuries." 

            "But Jack!" she protested. 

            "Don't bother," he told her, swinging his feet onto the wood floor. "You're staying in bed whether you like it or not and it's better not to protest." 

            She resigned with a sigh, slumping back into the bed and shooting a glare at Jack. 

            "Don't try it Darling," he said. "That stuff doesn't work on me." 

            "I know Jack," she said. "It never did." 

            "Get some sleep," he ordered. "We'll be on the island for most of the day." 

            She groaned. "Oh great. I don't even get my share of the treasure." 

            "That's what you get for spending your time high above deck, Love," he said. Without thinking, he caught her eye and lightly brushed her cheek with his fingers before going out onto the deck. It was just before dawn and only Anamaria was awake and on deck too. 

            "Mornin' Jack," she greeted him as she adjusted a sail that had come loose over night. 

            "Good morning Anamaria," he said. 

            "How is Anne doing?" she asked. 

            "Better," Jack replied. "Although not well enough to get out of bed today." 

            "I expected this much," she said. "But Jack, how are you doing?" 

            "The same as always," he told her. "I'm captain Jack Sparrow. I don't love, I don't feel any sort of emotion." 

            "You weren't like that before," she reminded him. "Your first kill?" 

~*^*~J*A*C*K*'*S**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~ 

            We were out at sea when suddenly another ship came along beside us. It was another pirate ship, one of Captain Smith's enemies, the Destroyer. 

_            "Get your sword Jack," Anne told me as everyone scurried around on deck, getting ready for battle. "And check the cabin and see if there's a cutlass or pistol to be spared. We may well need it." _

_            I was quite nervous. It would be both my and Anne's first battle. While we had been practicing the use of a sword quite diligently, we had never needed to use it in a life-threatening situation. _

_            "Get ready you two," a voice said. _

_            Both of us turned to see Anamaria. She had just come aboard a week prior but had been sailing with pirates since she was a child and therefore our superior. Calmly, she handed each of us a pistol and a cutlass. _

_            "You need to be ready for this one," she informed us. "I know it be your first battle but we're out to win." _

_            Both of us nodded, slightly unnerved by the pep talk. _

_            "Ready Jack?" Anne asked, a bit breathlessly as the Destroyer pulled up along side of us. _

_            "As ready as I'll ever be," I told her. _

_            "You scared?" she questioned. _

_            "Terrified," I admitted. _

_            "Good," she said. "Me too." _

_            I grabbed her free hand and held it for a minute, squeezing her fingers briefly before letting go and getting ready to fight. _

_            Soon, the men from the Destroyer were on deck and all of us were fighting for our lives. As I fought a mate with dirty brown hair and no teeth, I heard Anne fighting behind me. _

_            "Jack!" she shouted._

_            I turned around to see that a boy, perhaps no older than fourteen, had a sword to her throat. _

_            "Hey pretty miss," he growled. "You're coming with me." _

_            Without really thinking much, I took out my pistol and shot him in the head. _

_            As he fell, I also collapsed on my knees next to Anne. I had killed someone, I had taken a life. The battle raged on around us but all Anne and I could seem to do was kneel and hold hands and cry. I was a pirate but I was not the hardened, tough person like the rest of them yet and neither was Anne. _

_            When the battle was over, Anamaria came over to us. _

_            "You killed him?" she asked, nodding to the dead boy. _

_            I nodded and gulped. "I'm sorry." _

_            "Don't be sorry, Sparrow," she told me sternly. "He would have killed you and Anne if you hadn't." _

_            "Then why does it feel so bad?" I asked. _

_            "You'll get used to it Jack," she told me. _

_            I knew she was probably right but all I could feel right then was the loss of that one person. _

~*^*~E*N*D**O*F**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~__

            "Am I right?" she asked. 

He nodded. "Get everyone up. Hands to braces, men in the boats. I want to get in and get out." 

            "Aye Captain," Anamaria said, turning to follow his orders. 

******************************************************************************************************************************

            Anne groaned. Someone was rubbing her shoulder, telling her to wake up. Whoever it was, she was going to slap them. If only she could wake up enough and lift her arm. 

            "Anne! Wake up!" 

            "Stop it Jack," she said, his voice finally registering in her brain. "You're the one who told me to sleep." 

            "Obey your captain, Anne," he told her sternly. 

            "Fine," she replied, opening her eyes to see his face mere inches away from hers. 

            "Phew!" he said, sitting back. "I believe I'll need a bit of rum after that one." 

            "Shut up," she said. 

            "That's not a good thing to say to the person who is going to feed you," he reminded her. "I ought to let you starve." 

            "Go ahead," she replied. "I don't care anymore." 

            He frowned, concerned. "Wha's wrong love?" 

            "Everything," she said. "I'm a bloody pirate, not some invalid who should be in a hospital with physicians watching my every move. I want fresh air and salt and sun and treasure." 

            "You'll get plenty of that," he told her. "After you get better." He stood up and fished around in his pocket for something. "In the meantime, here you go." He held up a small velvet pouch and dropped it on the bed next to her. 

            She looked at him questioningly before opening it to find a beautiful gold and diamond pendant. 

            "Jack…" she said. 

            "It suits you," he told her, before turning and walking toward the door. "And Anne? Mind you get better soon. I can't have my crew short a pair of hands." 

            Anne just stared at his back as he left before shaking her head and placing the chain around her neck. The large diamond cluster was arranged to look like a flower and leaves. It fell between her breasts. Why had Jack given it to her? She really didn't know. All she knew was how incredibly tired she was. Rolling on to her side, she went back to sleep. 

********************************************************************************************

            "Ye gave it to her didn't ye Jack?" Anamaria asked as Jack exited his cabin. 

            "It's none of your business, Anamaria," he told her. 

            "Aye, you be right Jack," she said. "But I know you care for her." 

            "Aye, I do," he said. "Back to work with you." 

            "You've held that jewel in your pocket for near twelve years and you finally give it away," she said. 

            He shot her a warning look and she got back to work. Jack made his way to the helm and ordered the crew to lift the anchors so they could get underway. Yes, it he had carried the necklace around for nearly twelve years. When Anne had left, he had went into the port and bought the necklace from a store, telling himself he would give it to her if he ever saw her again. With it's comforting weight gone from his pocket, he felt a bit unsure. Now that he had given it to her, there was no turning back. Whether he liked it or not, Jack Sparrow had given away his heart to a girl who only stayed in one place long enough to captivate all those around her. 

********************************************************************************************

Hugs to all reviewers and the prize for this chapter is….. Parrots and monkeys! Essential pets for pirates. Next chapter: a party with cookies, apples, and a closet with Jack and Will. *devilish grin* 

*cries* my copy of potc is missing! Someone borrowed it and didn't return it! 


	5. Chapter five: Kiss

~*^*~A*N*N*E*'*S**D*R*E*A*M~*^*~

            Jack and I were up in the crow's nest looking out over the water. It had been three weeks since either of us had set foot on land, bathed, or eaten food other than what we had stored on the Topper but both of us were happy. His hair had grown quite long, as had mine. 

_            "You ought to get someone to put your hair in dreadlocks, Jack," I told him as we leaned up against the mast. "It's tangled and dirty enough as it is." _

_            "Well, unlike you my dear friend, I cannot wear my hair in nice pretty braids tied with ribbon," he said. _

_            I laughed. "I was teasing you Jack. _

_            "I know, Love," he said, placing an arm around my shoulders. _

_            "Jack, if you are after what I think you are, you can look elsewhere," I told him, knowing perfectly well that Jack had taken a liking to some of the prostitutes in Tortuga. _

_            "Never, Love," he replied. "I know you wouldn't." _

_            "Good," I said, standing up. I grabbed one of the ropes and climbed. _

_            "Anne, what are you doing?" Jack asked as I climbed up and away from him. _

_            "Going up and away from you and everything else," I replied. _

~*^*~E*N*D**D*R*E*A*M~*^*~ 

            Anne woke up the next morning to find Jack staring at her. More specifically, he was staring at the necklace he had given her. This made her a bit uncomfortable since the diamond cluster was positioned between her breasts. 

            "Good morning, Jack," she greeted him. "I see you know where to find a woman's breasts. Good for you. Next thing you know, you'll actually realize they're attached. You never did seem to quite understand that before." 

            He had the dignity to look embarrassed that she had caught him. "Glad to see you're as sarcastic as usual," he said. 

            "Any chance of me actually being able to move today?" she questioned. 

            "Why do you want to move?" he asked. 

            "I want to go to my own bed," she informed him. 

            "And why would you want that, Love?" he asked. "I know you love sharing with your old pal Jack." 

            "I don't," she told him. "It's just too strange Jack. All of that was in the past." 

            He looked at her intently. "It doesn't have to be, Anne. You were the one that left but we're here now." 

            "I can't deal with this now Jack," she told him. Despite obvious pain on her face, she got out of bed and walked to her own cabin. 

~*^*~J*A*C*K*'*S**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~

            It was bitingly cold. We were sailing across the Atlantic toward the Eastern world to take on goods from the Trade coasts. I had my worn leather coat but Anne had nothing but the thin tattered shirt on her back. 

_            "You're freezing," I said. _

_            It was late and the sun was setting behind us. The other crewmembers were down below eating but Anne and I had brought our food above decks. _

_            "So what if I am?" she asked. "I have nothing else to wear." _

_            Deciding to take a risk of being punched like so many of the other men on the ship who had tried things, I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her small frame. Anne was slender and over average height but she was strong. I could tell she had never been truly held by a man before. Much to my surprise, instead of hitting me, she leant back into my arms gratefully. _

_            "Thank you Jack," she told me. "I was freezing." _

_            "It's not a problem, Love," I told her truthfully. I cared for her more than I cared to admit. Pirates weren't supposed to care about other people, particularly other pirates. Anne was different. I couldn't help care for her and (dare I say?) love her. _

_            We stood for a few minutes like that until I got particularly bold and kissed the top of her head. _

_            Although I could not see her face, I imagined a soft smile upon her lips. Or at least I hoped she was smiling. For all I knew, she could have been scowling. _

_            Her next actions dashed all thoughts of a scowl on her beautiful face though. She turned in my arms to face me. _

_            "You of all people should know how to kiss a girl properly Jack," she said before pulling my face down to meet hers. Our lips met and that was when I realized we wanted the same thing. I tightened my arms around her and deepened the kiss, not wanting to ever let go of that moment and stop kissing her. I wanted her, all of her. I suppose she realized and that was why she broke off the kiss saying, "Not tonight Jack." _

_            Still, when I went to sleep that night, I was happier than I had ever been before. _

~*^*~E*N*D**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~

            Anne lay down on her bed in excruciating pain. It felt like she was being crushed against the rocks all over again and the rock was being shoved inside her. Getting away from Jack hadn't been quite worth it. She was dizzy from her head wound and overall felt horrible. 

            But she had gotten away from him. 

            Anne knew she was a coward when it came to her past. Jack had been her first love and probably her last. He had been different than all the other men she had met in her lifetime. While he had obviously wanted her, he hadn't pressured her. He let her set the boundaries and let her decide when they could cross them. But it hadn't been enough. She had runaway, terrified of what could happen. She knew she broke his heart if he had meant what he said. She also knew she broke her own heart that day, shattering it in a million pieces that she had been forced to glue together and then guard like it was the largest treasure in the world. 

            Too bad Jack could make her let her guard slip. 

            Sometimes she thought he knew she still loved him and tried to use it to his advantage. She got the impression he felt the same way but could not be sure. All she knew was she wanted to get away and soon. 

********************************************************************************************

            Anamaria had seen Anne struggle from Jack's cabin to her own in obvious pain. It didn't seem right to her. Soon after, Jack walked out of the cabin in an extremely foul looking mood. 

            "What be wrong, Jack?" she asked him. 

            "It's none of your business, Anamaria," he said. 

            "Aye," she said. "But I did see one of our crewmembers stumbled to her cabin in obvious pain. Perhaps the captain ought to see if she's all right." 

            "Perhaps you ought not to tell me what to do," he snapped. 

            "You and I both know you love her," Anamaria told him. "Even if you don't want to admit it." 

            "Anamaria," he warned. 

            "Aye Captain," she said. "I be out of bounds. Your pardon, I be going to work now." 

********************************************************************************************

Party as promised. 


	6. Chapter Six: Pain

            Anne moaned. Everything hurt so incredibly awfully. She was considering using her pistol to end it all right there. 

            The door swung open to reveal Jack. 

            "Go away," she moaned in pain, unable to think of anything else to say. 

            Instead he stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed. She tried to roll away but ended up crying out in pain. 

            "Annalin," he said, his voice filled with concern. "You always had to be a stubborn lass. That bed is as good as sleeping on deck. That would be why I wanted you to sleep in my bed." 

            "What did you call me?" she asked. 

            "Annalin," he replied. "The last time you heard that, we were sixteen." 

            She nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. 

            "Now if you will let me, I will carry you back to where you ought to be," he told her. 

            "I can walk," she protested. 

            He snorted. "And that is why you are in bed moaning in pain."

            She let him scoop her up in his arms and carry her to his cabin. Instead of leaving right away, he stopped and sat next to her on the bed. 

            "Anne, you and I both know what happened twelve years ago," he said. "You and I both know what was said and done. But only you know why you ran. I have no idea. All I want you to know is what I said twelve years ago still stands and whatever you want from me is yours." 

~*^*~A*N*N*E*'*S**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~

            Jack came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. It was nighttime and neither of us were on duty but we wanted to stay up anyway. We wanted to be awake when the ship sailed into port.

_            Jack kissed my neck softly. "How are you feeling, Love?" _

_            "I'm okay," I told him, leaning into his embrace. It had been nearly four months since we had first kissed and gradually, we were becoming closer and closer. _

_            Jack turned me in his arms and looked down into my eyes. "I need to tell you something important," he said. _

_            I frowned. Jack was hardly ever serious. What if something was wrong? "What is it?" I asked. _

_            "Let's go below where it's more private. I don't want anyone to overhear," he said. _

_            "Is something wrong?" I questioned, following him down to his cabin. _

_            "No Anne," he told me. _

_            "Then what is it?" I asked. _

_            He remained silent until we were safely in his room. Then he took my hands in his and said those three little words I had longed to hear. He said, "I love you." _

_            My heart nearly stopped right there. I had never been loved, truly loved, by anyone ever before. _

_            "Annalin Catherine Tailor, I love you more than anything. More than the sun, more than the see, more than the wind in the sails." _

_            I stared at him. I loved him too but I was in amazement that he could actually love me. _

_            "Say something Anne," Jack said after I had simply stared at him open-mouthed for several seconds. "You're scaring me." _

_            "I love you, Jack," I told him truthfully. Not being able to fully express how deep my feelings ran, I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him hard, trying to convey all I felt for him in that kiss. Jack responded equally as passionately playing with my hair and rubbing my back. I could feel his desire against my stomach, pooling with my own. Making a decision, I tugged at the hem of his shirt and started lifting it up. _

_            Jack broke off the kiss and looked in my eyes. "Are you sure you want this Anne?" he asked. _

_            I nodded. "More than anything." _

_            His shirt went over his head and onto the floor and mine was soon to follow. All of our clothes ended up on the cabin floor and suddenly we were in bed, making love. I was giving him my virginity and it hurt at first but Jack still made it feel good. A while later, we lay in bed in each other's arms tired and elated. _

_            Jack nuzzled my hair. "I love you Anne. That was amazing." _

_            "I love you too Jack and I'd have to agree," she said. _

_            Jack soon fell asleep but I couldn't. I loved Jack so much it scared me and it hurt me. I knew I'd die for him and for a pirate that was dangerous for both of us. A seed of doubt was planted in my heart. I could easily get both of us killed. If I wanted both of us to be safe, I would have to leave. _

_            Being careful not to disturb him, I got out of bed and searched the room for my clothes. I decided it was best to leave without a trace, even it meant breaking his heart as well as my own. _

_            We had made port in Tortuga late that night so I climbed carefully onto the land, not even looking back. I couldn't without running back to the ship, never to leave. Tears filled my eyes as I walked through the shipyard, looking for my new ship. _

~*^*~E*N*D**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~

            Tears filled Anne's eyes from the memory. "You have no idea how had it was for me to walk away that day, do you?" she asked. "How could you?" 

            "Damn right I don't know," he said. "I don't know why you left, Anne. I told you I loved you and you said you loved me too." 

            "That's why I left!" she told him. "God damnit, Jack! I was scared! For you, for me, for what could happen. There hasn't been a day I haven't regretted walking away but on the day I left, I thought it was the right choice. Do you know how many times I went to Tortuga just hoping you might be there? I can't even count them! My crew did and that's why them committed mutiny! I wanted to go back to Tortuga to see if you were there! I just wanted to see you again, to touch you, to tell you I loved you one last time and explain why I left. Then suddenly, I see you in a bar in Tortuga after having large quantities of alcohol and all my plans were dashed. My grand idea was gone the second you said my name. Only God knows what I was thinking when I decided to accept your offer but I did. Half of me hoped you had forgotten what had happened between us. But you didn't, goddamnit! And it terrified me because I had no idea what you wanted." 

            "I told you what I wanted Anne," he said. 

            "And that's what makes it so hard Jack!" she replied. "Because I can't. I love you more than anything but I can't." 

            "Why in bloody hell not?" he asked. 

            "Because!" she replied. 

            "Because why, Anne? If we love each other despite being greasy, weasely pirates who shouldn't care at all, why shouldn't we be together?" he asked. 

            She turned her head away from him and although he couldn't see, there were tears in her eyes. "Because," she said. "I just… can't." 

            "If that's how you feel," Jack said. "You're off this ship at the next port. We'll find you a new one and a crew." 

            She nodded, tears running down her cheeks and a lump in her throat keeping her from saying anything else. 

********************************************************************************************

Don't kill me yet. Trust me, I have a plan. 


	7. Chapter Seven: Drunk Love

            Telling Anne what he had told her hurt Jack Sparrow more than he would ever care to admit. It was like the small chunk of his heart that hadn't left with Anne the first time was being ripped out of his chest and ground into a pulp of muscular tissue. 

            "Captain, it is likely I will end up in Davy Jone's Locker for saying this but you do not know women," Anamaria said, coming up behind him. 

            "Mind your own," he snarled. 

            "Aye Captain," she said. "But if you let Anne go so easily, you'll be brokenhearted for the rest of your life." 

            As much as Jack hated to admit it, she was right. Every time they made port, he drowned himself in yet another woman, still consumed by memories of Anne making love to him. 

            Sure, he wanted her to stay. He wanted to hear her say she loved him and she'd never leave again but short of chaining her to his bed, that wouldn't happen. Anne was too strong-willed and free-spirited to stand for that for very long. 

            That was one of the reasons he loved her. She was a fighter no matter what. Trouble was, she was fighting against him. 

********************************************************************************************

            Anne couldn't stop crying no matter how many tears she shed. By now, she suspected the crew was searching the hull for leaks. The pillow she was crying into had acted as something of a sponge and was drenched. 

            Why was she crying? She was doing the right thing. Wasn't she? 

            "It feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest," she said. "How can this be right? How can this be right when it feels like I'll die if I step off this ship?" 

            She really didn't know the answer. How could it be right? 

********************************************************************************************

            Three days later, Anne was finally able to stand up and walk around above decks. She did a few chores like cleaning the galley and getting food out for meals simply because she wanted to. Jack didn't make her. She also noticed that they didn't seem to be going anywhere near ports and that made her glad; she wasn't ready to leave the Pearl. 

            Anne leaned against the rail, lost in thought. 

            "Are ye feeling better Missy?" 

            Anne turned around to see Mr. Gibbs standing behind her. 

            "A lot, thanks Mr. Gibbs," she said. "I'm almost back to normal." 

            "That's good," he said. "Ye seem distracted though, Missy. Anything I can do for ye?" 

            She shook her head. "No. There isn't anything anyone can do really." 

            "Well, if you need anything let me know. It's nice to have ye on the Black Pearl," he said. 

            "Thank you Mr. Gibbs," she said, returning to her thoughts. It was all so confusing. "I need rum," she said. "A good bottle of run will drown the confusion if only for a while." 

********************************************************************************************

            Jack was hurting and he liked to think Anne was too. That was part of the reason he avoided islands with ports; he wasn't ready to let her go. From what he had seen, Anne was hurting too and half pf him hoped she would change her mind. 

            At least he thought she was hurting until he saw her perched on a chair smiling and laughing for no particular reason. 

            "Hiya Jack!" she called, waving enthusiastically. 

            "Hello Anne," he said. 

            She hiccupped. "Would ye like some rum?" She asked, holding up the almost empty bottle. When she nearly slipped off the stool, she giggled. "Whoopsies! Silly me!" 

            Jack leaned over and picked her up. "You're drunk," he said, stating the incredibly obvious. 

            She giggled again. "I know," she said with a bright smile. When she began to slip again, Jack grabbed her. 

            "You see Jack," Anna said, waving the bottle around. "That's why I love you so damn much. You're so protective of me." 

            "Why don't we get you below decks so the crew doesn't have to see you this way?" he said, hoisting her to her feet. 

            She giggled and swayed. "You know what Jack? I have no idea why I'm leaving you," she told him as he guided her to his cabin. "I love you so much. I don't want to leave the Pearl." 

            Even though he knew it was probably the rum speaking, he still couldn't help but feel extremely glad to hear those words. Carefully, he put her in his bed. "You're going to sleep it off," he told her. 

            She pouted. "Meanie," she said. Suddenly a pleading look came over her face. "Don't leave me Jack! Don't make me leave! I want to be with you!" 

            He leaned over and kissed her gently. "As long as you want to stay, you're always welcome on the Pearl, love," he told her. 

            "Good," she said with a smile. 

********************************************************************************************

            Anne woke up with a killer headache and many fuzzy memories. Everything seemed to be in a blur but she remembered enough to realize what she had told Jack. She got out of bed and walked out onto the balcony. Jack was already there, staring out over the water. Tentatively she stood beside him and leaned against the railing. 

            "Tell me you didn't mean it," he said. 

            "Excuse me?" she asked. 

            He turned to face her, his dark eyes boring into her blue ones. "Tell me you didn't mean anything you said yesterday and it was the rum talking and what you said didn't mean a damn thing." 

            "I can't," she told him. 

            "And why not? Shatter my dreams! You already did once," he said. 

            "I can't because I meant everything I said," she admitted, looking down. 

            "Then why did you say you want to leave me?" he asked. 

            "Because I'm scared Jack," she told him. "I'm fucking terrified." 

            He snorted. "And you think I'm completely unafraid?" 

            She smiled slightly. "Just kiss me before I change my mind about staying." 

            Jack obliged eagerly, one hand in her hair and the other on her back while his lips locked with hers. God he loved her. All he wanted was to stay in that one moment for all time. 

            Anne pulled back when she sensed how much he wanted her. With a soft smile, she stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear. "Later." 

            He smiled at her as she took his hand and led him back into the cabin and then out onto the deck. 

            "Just because you're the captain's girl now doesn't mean you get preferential treatment," he said. 

            "I know," she said. "And just because I love you doesn't mean I'll do change my ways." 

            He shook his head with a smile and took his position at the helm while Anne walked around on deck, gazing longingly at the rigging. 

            "Not today Anne," Jack told her.  

            "Have I ever taken orders from you?" 

            He frowned. "No, I'd say you never have." 

            "Wow," she said. "I guess this'll be my first time then." 

********************************************************************************************

Thanks to all my readers. This chapter you get…. Rum (butter rum candy for my under 21 crowd *cough* ME *cough*) and wooden eyeballs and pretty diamond necklaces. 

I've been fortunate enough to have avoided flamers up to this point of the story but anyone who does gets some cursed Aztec gold. The flames will be used to light my bonfire for me to run around drinking rum and singing with Jack Sparrow. 


	8. Chapter Eight: Love

            Anne and Jack stood at the bow of the ship, watching the sunset over the ocean. Their arms were around each other as they stared out over the water. Anne's head was on his shoulder, listening to the steady, comforting tempo of his heart. 

            Behind them Anamaria and Mr. Gibbs observed them, talking quietly as not to disturb the two lovers who finally got it together. 

            "We're bound for Port Royal?" Mr. Gibbs asked. 

            "Aye," Anamaria said. "It appears captain Sparrow finally won over his bonnie lass." 

            "Bonnie lass she be not!" Mr. Gibbs said. "That woman is a pirate indeed!" 

            "Aye," Anamaria agreed. "Still I wonder what the whole story behind her turning up is." 

            "You think there is more to her presence than meets the eye?" he asked. 

            "Her crew," she reminded him. "What if they come looking for her?" 

            "We'll know if they do," he said. 

            Back at the bow of the ship, Anne and Jack had moved on from cuddling and were shamelessly kissing quite passionately. As Jack's hand trailed over her shoulder to the collar of her shirt, the two of them suddenly seemed to realize they were standing on deck. Anne giggled and they walked slowly to his cabin, still kissing. When they shut the door, Anne tugged at the hem of Jack's shirt but Jack stopped her a look in her eyes. 

            "Are you sure you want this?" he asked. 

            "Yes," she told him. 

            And for the second time in their lives, they made love. As they lay tangled together afterward, Anne laid her head on Jack's chest, listening to the comforting thud of his heart in his chest. 

            "God I love you," he told her, tracing shapes on the small of her back. 

            "I love you too, savvy?" she said with a small, teasing smile.

            "Can't have none of that teasing love," he told her. 

            She rolled so she was facing him. "Oh really?" 

            He smiled and kissed her passionately before pulling back and grinning rakishly at her. "Ready for another go already? I'm not a love machine." 

            "Shut up," she told him, snuggling closer to his chest. 

            He responded by wrapping his arms firmly around her waist, kissing her hair, and dropping off to sleep

            Anne stared at her lover for a minute longer before sleeping too, not feeling the least bit guilty for making love to him. 

            Unbeknownst to the two elated lovers however, Anne's former crew was looking to attack the Pearl.

******************************************************************************************************************************


	9. Chapter Nine: Visiting

            Anne stretched lazily and intended to sit up before realizing a pair of strong, tan arms were holding her firmly in place. She looked up to see Jack smiling at her.

            "I could get used to this," he told her.

            "What?" she asked.

            "Waking up with you in my arms," he informed her.

            "So could I," she replied, snuggling closer to his chest.

            "Love, we've got to get up," he told her, drawing shapes on her back with his hand. "We should be coming into Port Royal today."

            She groaned, relishing the feel of his arms around her before sitting up and going to search for her clothes. Jack sat in bed, watching her move around naked to look for her clothes. Well muscled and slender, she was beautiful.

            "What are you staring at?" she asked him as she held her shirt up to her chest.

            "You," he told her. "You're beautiful."

            "You are acting so unlike yourself," she told him, pulling her shirt over her head. "And weren't you the one to say we needed to get up?" she asked, throwing his pants at him.

            He smiled and began dressing. Together they walked out on deck. However, they weren't prepared for the applause that greeted them. Anne blushed but Jack just placed his arm around her shoulders. Congratulations rang out at the happy couple.

            "You 'aven't been spying on us have you?" Jack asked.

            "This is the first time you've woken up after the sun has risen," Anamaria said. "And the first time since she boarded the Pearl that I've seen a true smile on Anne's face."

            "Were you gentle with her Jack?" Gibbs asked jokingly.

Jack looked away, embarrassed. "Hands to braces scallywags! We must get to Port Royal!"

            "But Jack, we are just outside of Port Royal," Anamaria told him, gesturing to the cliffs behind them.

            "Then get a row boat! Anne and I are to go ashore!" he shouted.

            "Where are we going?" she asked.

            "To see some old friends," he told her.

* * *

  


            Elizabeth Turner was just setting up for afternoon tea with Will in the governor's mansion when she heard a knock on the back door. "Will, would you mind getting that?" she asked her husband, as she had a large tea tray in her hands at the time.

            "Come in, come in!" she heard Will say.

            "Will, who is it?" she asked, setting the tray on the table and going to the door. "Jack Sparrow!"

            "Captain Jack Sparrow, love," he reminded her with a smirk.

            "What are you doing here?" she asked.

            "What? I'm not allowed to drop by for a visit with my lady?" he questioned.

            For the first time in the shock of seeing Jack, the Turners noticed Anne, standing beside Jack, holding his hand.

            "Who's this, Jack?" Will asked sternly. "Not another girl you commandeered out of Port Royal, is it?"

            Anne snorted. "As if I could be commandeered," she said. "No. My name is Annalin Catherine Tailor. I am a pirate."

            "Well, lets sit down for tea," Elizabeth said, slightly flustered. It shocked her quite a bit to think that Jack of all people could fall in love. However, she could see it in his eyes when he looked at Anne. As they walked to the dining room, she took a closer look at the other woman. She was pretty with blue eyes the color of the Caribbean Sea and long dark hair. She was quite slender but had a rather large chest and lean muscle from sailing and swimming. "So, how did you two meet?"

            Jack smiled at Anne before telling them. "Anne and I go way back to before I had the Pearl. We were sixteen and on the crew of the Topper together," he said. "We went our separate ways for a while but a while ago I found her sitting in a bar in Tortuga looking for a ship."

            "You see," Anne explained. "I used to be captain of my own ship before I had a mutiny a little more than a month ago."

            "Oh," Will said. "So you've known each other for a while then."

            The pirate couple nodded.

            "Does anything bring you to Port Royal besides visiting?" Elizabeth asked politely, still somewhat in shock.

            "Well, yes," Jack said. "I was hoping you could entertain Anne for a bit. I have some business to attend in town."

            "What if you're seen?" Will asked.

            "That's what disguises are for," Jack said with his usual smirk, getting up and heading out.

* * *

  


            Anne and Elizabeth found out they had a lot more in common than they originally thought. Both were nobles who didn't like the harsh constraints of colonial society.

            "You're lucky, Anne," Elizabeth. "You aren't expected to stay home and be woman of the house."

            "Oh believe me, I remember the feeling," Anne replied. "That's why I got out when I was sixteen. You could too if you wanted to."

            She sighed. "Perhaps."

            Will stirred his tea, wanting to express his desire to go with Jack but holding back.

            Elizabeth turned to Will. "What's your opinion on the matter?" she asked. "And tell me the truth, not what you think I want to hear."

            Will sighed. "I often desire to go with Jack. But I will do whatever it is you want."

            "We'll talk more of this later," she said. "So Anne, tell me more about your life as a pirate captain."

* * *

  


            Jack was on a mission. He had to buy something for Anne, something very expensive for Anne, something very special for Anne that he hoped she would treasure for the rest of her life.

            He was going to get her a diamond ring.

            Oh sure, he's looted about a thousand diamond rings but he was going to pay for this one. He wanted it to mean something. That was why he had to buy it.

            Tucking his dreadlocks up and pulling his hat down over his eyes, he walked the streets. He was wearing the breeches and coat that were typical of a proper Englishman as he walked through the door of the jewelry shop.

* * *

  


            Anne was helping Elizabeth and Will pack. They had made a decision to go with Jack and Anne on the Pearl.

            "You don't need that many gowns on a ship, Elizabeth," Anne told her. "Nor any so fine. Will, do you really want to take_all__of your swords? As a matter of fact, give me one of those. I need a new one."_

            Will handed her one of his finer blades. It was long and graceful with gold filigree laid into the handle and the guard.

            "Perfect, thanks Will," Anne told him. She hadn't really expected him to give her a blade but nonetheless, she took it.

            Just then, Jack walked in. "What's all this?" he asked.

            "Will and Elizabeth are coming with us," Anne explained.

            "Tha's nice," Jack said. "We've got to get back to the Pearl soon."

            "Did you complete your little mission?" she asked playfully, stepping closer to him and tilting her head up to smile at him.

            "Aye. You could say that," he told her, leaning his head forward and kissing her.

            "Break it up you two," Will said as he threw some clothes into his bag. "We know you're in love, no need to suck on each other's tonsils."

            "Oh shut up eunuch," Jack said but we broke apart. "If you need anything else, best get it on the way down. We need to go."

            "Jack," I said suspiciously. "You aren't on the run are you?"

            He shook his head. "No love but I would like to get a move on," he told her.

            "Come on you two, let's get going," Anne said.

* * *

  



	10. Chapter Ten: Capture

Red sails hovered over the horizon like flaming clouds as the Devil's Bane sailed swiftly after her sister ship; the Black Pearl. At the helm stood Captain John Fredrick, once pride of the British navy, now terror of the Caribbean. 

"I want her!" he hissed through his teeth, setting his sights on the majestic scene that was set before his eyes of the Black Pearl sailing toward the sun setting over the Caribbean sea. From his position on deck, he could see her. She was leaned against the railing at the bow of the ship, looking out over the water. 

Her long dark hair was cast over her shoulder, a few strands lifted by the wind. And then Jack Sparrow came up behind her and they talked for a minute before both of them left to bustle around deck with the rest of the crew. 

It was obvious they were preparing for battle. The cannons were being loaded, and the crew had swords and pistols in hand. 

"Man the cannons Captain?" his first mate, Andrew, asked. 

"No," he said. "That will not be necessary." 

And it wouldn't be. There was only one person on that ship he needed. 

************************************************************************

Anne gulped as she strapped her two pistols into their holsters and took hold of the sword Will had gifted to her. Its maker stood beside her, nervously readying for battle as well. 

"This is not your first battle, William, now is it?" she asked. 

He shook his head. "No. I have fought alongside Jack before. Yourself?"

She shot him a scathing look. 

"Sorry," he said with an apologetic look. "I often forget you're a pirate." 

She snorted. "No, you're just not used to a woman having fought in battle. No worries. I've been fighting since before you were born." 

"Yes," she replied. "Three brothers. They liked to wrestle." 

"Will! Anne! Are you ready?" Jack asked, coming up beside them. 

Anne nodded. "Aye Captain. Fredrick is mine, savvy? Mutinous first mate that he was." 

"But of course, madam," he told her. Knowing that it could be the last time they ever got a chance, the two kissed and embraced before readying for battle. 

***********************************************************************

The Devil's Bane pulled parallel to the Pearl but much to the crew's surprise, not a single shot was fired nor even a move to invade the Pearl. 

"What is it ye be wanting if not battle?" Ana-Maria shouted. 

John stepped forward to the rail of the ship where Anne was standing. 

"Her," he said. "And only her. There is no need for anyone or anything else." 

"And what is it you plan on doing with said strumpet?" Jack asked. "She is mine after all." 

 "I am no ones," Anne said. "Especially not yours, Fredrick. Now tell me what it is you want or we shall fight." 

"Now she sees what I want," he mocked. "Give Captain Tailor some cheers boys!" 

Anne was sickened as her old crew leered and cheered at her in mock salute to their former captain and fearless leader. Jack gripped her shoulder. 

"And why would I fight you?" she asked. "You have my crew, you have my ship, my plunder, everything that was once mine. Why me as well?" 

"Ah, Annalin, that is the fun of it. You will never know unless we fight," Fredrick told her. 

"A fair fight," she told him. "Drop everything but your sword and remember that I know exactly where you keep all of your weapons." She unfastened her own belt and handed it to Jack as Fredrick unloaded his weapons. Then, in a catlike jump, she made her way from the deck of the Pearl to the Devil. 

"It be lovely to be fighting you again Captain Tailor," Fredrick said with a nasty grin as they crossed swords ready for battle. 

"I'm quite sure John," she said. 

And then the battle began. 

Fredrick made the first move, aiming a slash at her abdomen. Anne parried easily and then easily sliced one of the buttons of his shirt. She was a tease and she knew it, always playing with her opponent before finishing him off. While he always aimed for the kill, she took up a habit of blocking and destroying his clothes and causing minor injury. 

"Having fun?" She asked. "Because I am." 

"That's why you made a bad Captain Anne," he said. "You had too much fun and didn't get down to business enough." 

"Really now?" she said, carefully aiming a slash that took down his trousers. 

When he looked down in surprise, she jabbed her sword into his stomach. 

"My that was fun. Send me a letter from hell Fredrick," she told him, pulling the blade out of his gut. "You see that's the trouble with you, Fredrick. You never have enough fun." 

            "Perhaps," he said with a sickening grin spreading over his dying face. "But you are on my ship." 

            Anne spun around just in time to see his crew approaching from behind to clap her in irons and haul her below decks. 

            "Anne!" Jack shouted from the deck of the Pearl, preparing to spring over and save his love. 

            As soon as he uttered the words, twenty-five guns were aimed at him. 

            "Don't do it Jack," Anne pleaded with him. 

            "Oh your beau is going to die anyway if you don't shut your trap Tailor," Charles, her captor, snarled as he grabbed both of her wrists and yanked her hair. 

            "Don't you touch her you filthy bastards!" Jack shouted. 

            "Jack don't!" Anne exclaimed, fearing for both her and her lover's life. "You'll be killed!" 

            "Right you are, missy," Charles snarled. He clapped the irons around her hands. 

            "Don't do anything," Anne told Jack. "I don't want you hurt." 

            "And I don't want you hurt," he told her. 

            "Jack, please!" she begged. "Just sail away. For me. For the crew. For us. And remember no matter what happens, I love you." 

            Charles shoved her roughly down the stairs below deck and she fell, knocked unconscious. 

            "Anne!" Jack screamed in desperation, readying to swing over to the Devil. 

            "Do it and you die, Sparrow," Charles informed him. "Sail away and you will never hear from us again." 

            Jack was helpless. Then Anamaria grabbed his jacket and pulled him away. "We'll get her back," she told him in a low voice. "Just not right now. Come on." 

            And although it went against everything he wanted to do, Captain Jack Sparrow sailed away. 

********************************************************************************************

            Hours later, Anne laid on the floor of her cell. She'd been brutally raped and beaten and was now only half conscious. 

            "Well Jack," she thought aloud. "Looks like my first instinct was right. I would die for you and now I am." 

********************************************************************************************

I know you all hate me for two reasons. (1 being taking so long to do this but I swear I have an excuse and 2 being Anne's capture.) It will eventually turn out happily ever after (with a nice sequel if everyone is agreeable to that notion) in the end. I am also planning another POTC fic that will come out…. Probably this week if my testing schedule is agreeable. 

DVD's of Chocolat and Pirates of the Caribbean to all who review!


	11. Chapter Eleven: Recovery

Anne lifted her head dejectedly from the roughly hewn wooden floor. She knew that floor and she had loved that floor. Until that day of course. She was bruised and beaten on the outside and inside it was worse. She'd never had sex with anyone but Jack and the brutal rape she'd been through hadn't been pleasant. It had torn her soul.

At that point, she wanted to die. She wanted to give up. But she knew she wouldn't because that was who she was. And she was doing it for Jack because he would save her. He had to.  
  
************************************************************************

Jack had cried for a bit. He knew what pirates did to women. But he couldn't let the though of them raping her distract him from what he had to do. Steeling himself, he made his way on deck.

"Where do you think they'll head Captain?" Gibbs asked.  
He thought for a minute, remembering what little Anne had told him of her former crew. "The Island of Lost Dreams."

"Why in hell's name would they go there?" Gibbs asked in disbelief.

"Because that is their home," he said grimly, getting out his compass that actually did point north and pointing the ship on the right path.  
  
************************************************************************

The crew never thought Jack would actually know where to go. They were indeed headed for the Island of Lost Dreams. It was a desolate island with a rocky coast, no port, and reefs that many boats had scraped across and sank themselves. But the crew of the Devil knew what they were doing.

Charles himself had made Anne his. It had been music to his ears to hear her scream and beg him to stop. Then the rest of the crew had had her. She wasn't dead but she would be in a matter of days. She would be dropped in the Caribbean Sea and left for dead by sundown. They'd had what they wanted, the body of their beautiful former captain. 

Fred dragged Anne up the stairs. Her irons had been removed but there was no fight in her.

            "And this is the brave and fearless Captain Anne Tailor?" Charles mocked. 

            Anne looked at up him, her eyes normally so filled with life hollowed and deadened. 

            "Throw her overboard!" he shouted. 

            And they did it. 

            Anne landed on her back, floating on the water. There, she stayed, unconscious, as the Devil sailed away into the distance. 

********************************************************************************************

            The Pearl glided smoothly into the small cove of the island, carefully avoiding the rocks. Jack saw her. She was washed up on shore, face up. At that moment he was terrified, not sure whether she was alive or dead. 

            Much to his relief however, when they pulled her limp body out of the water, she was breathing slowly. Jack lifted her in his arms and carried her to his own cabin, laying her down on the bed. 

            "Jack?" 

            He looked and saw her eyes were open, just slits, but open. 

            "Anne," he whispered, staring at his tragically beaten lover. Her face was bruised. Purple splotches covered her arms and legs, her shoulder looked like it had been dislocated, and her eyes were swollen shut. 

            "Jack," she said a little louder as she began to cry. 

            He took her in her arms and held her as the tears fell. Before he realized it, he was crying too. 

            "I shouldn't have let them take you," he told her. "And I'm never letting you go again. You're mine and I'm yours."

            "I'm yours and you're mine," she told him faintly, her voice muffled in the warmth of his chest. Suddenly she pushed him away but whimpered in pain from her shoulder. 

            "What's wrong love?" he asked, frowning slightly. 

            "I'm tainted," she told him, looking away. "They-they raped me. Several times. And… and.." She swallowed, her tears falling harder. 

            "You're not tainted," he told her. "What they did to you was evil and they will die for it but you're not tainted." 

            "Yes I am," she said. "Every time we make love, they're all I'll be able to think about. And what if they got me pregnant?"

            "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Jack soothed, taking her into his arms again as she cried. 

********************************************************************************************

            Anne laid on her stomach, completely naked. Jack as behind her, dressing and cleaning the scrapes and cuts that covered her back. With each cut he had to clean out, it felt like a scrape or cut into his own soul. 

            "Oh Anne," he said. 

            "Don't feel sorry for me Jack," Anne ordered. "My self-pity is more than enough, thanks." 

            "I can't help it love," he told her. 

            She sighed, letting her tears leak slowly onto the pillows. 

            "You know it's not your fault," Jack told her. 

            "Yes it was," Anne said hoarsely. 

            "No it wasn't Anne. You told them no. They were the filthy bastards who decided to rape you," he said. "They hurt you and I will make them pay for it." 

            Anne's tears became louder, enough so Jack could hear them. Putting down the rag he'd been using to clean the cuts, he climbed into the bed beside her and held her delicate form in his arms while she cried. 

            "I'll do whatever you want me to do," he murmured into her hair. "I love you Anne and whatever that means to you, it means everything to me." 

********************************************************************************************

Kind of short, I know but I was getting a little disgusted. Sometimes my stories get too close to my real life for comfort. *shudder* Anyway, R&R as always and hopefully I'll have the next chapter will be out soon. 


	12. Chapter Twelve: Touch

Touch

            By Jinx

~*^*~A*N*N*E*'*S**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~

            It smelled like sex. It looked like sex. But it didn't feel anything like my previous experiences. It wasn't tender or gentle. It didn't feel good. At all. I was bleeding and I was bruised all over, especially on my thighs where they had grabbed me to spread my legs. There laughs jeered me and hurt worse than their hands and their bodies had. I wanted to die. 

            Whenever one of them touched me (as all of them did) I flinched and cried. I didn't want it. I want them to go away. I wanted to die myself. I just wanted it to end. 

            And as yet another one decided to have his way with me, I slipped into darkness. 

~*^*~E*N*D**F*L*A*S*H*B*A*C*K~*^*~

            Anne whimpered softly at the memory. 

            "Love?" Jack asked, looking at her as she lay beside him in bed. 

            "I was just remembering what they did to me," she told him. 

            He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer. 

            "It was horrible, Jack. They hurt me so much," she told him. 

            "I know, Love," he told her. "I will make them pay."

            Anne tentatively snuggled closer to his chest, still somewhat afraid to let him touch her. Jack responded by gently caressing her arms and planting a kiss on her hair. 

            "Sleep," he told her. "It heals." 

            Anne did as he told her and let the blackness claim her once more. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Four weeks passed before Anne could even get out of bed to walk to the head to pee. After another two weeks, though, she was able to come up for an hour at a time. 

            There was something Anne wasn't telling Jack though. She hadn't told him that she had missed two periods and that she was throwing up in the mornings. While she wasn't absolutely sure since she wasn't showing, Anna had the feeling she was pregnant. Judging by the time frame, the baby belonged to one Captain Jack Sparrow. She just didn't know how to tell him. 

            Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you looked at it) Jack found out by himself soon enough anyway. He'd heard her throwing up for several days but decided to wait for her to tell him. However, that all changed when she was lying in bed writhing in pain one day. 

            "Anne?" he asked with a frown. "Is it the baby?" 

            "I don't know," she said. 

            He peeled back the sheets and he knew. Blood stained everything. Her legs were sticky crimson and in the center was a tiny, tiny child, barely formed. 

            He frowned as Anne started sobbing. Jack reached out to her and held her as she sobbed into his chest. When he realized she had fallen asleep, he laid her back against the bed and began hauling hot water from the galley to the large tub in the washroom. Being careful not to wake her, he stripped her and placed her in the tub, cleaning carefully around her legs and sensitive areas. Afterwards, he put her in one of his clean shirts and placed a thick pad between her legs to stanch the blood flow. After stripping the sheets from the bed and replacing them with red satin ones, he placed her back under the coverlet and let her sleep. 

            In the exterior, he appeared calm and collected. On the inside, he was screaming. He didn't know if it was his child or not but it had been Anne's and he would've loved it. 

            He looked at Anne as she lay in bed, her dark hair fanning out against the pillow, looking pale and too think and weak and realized she wasn't as strong as she liked to pretend she was. He had to be strong for her. And himself. And for all of them. He couldn't let anything defeat them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Short, I know. And I'm sorry but really I just needed something to put up with this author note. I cannot guarantee regular updates for a while since I'm having some serious health problems that may require surgery. If you'd like to know more for some odd reason, feel free to IM or email me. I love hearing from my readers


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Feeling It All

Feel It All

By Jinx

Physically, Anne was doing much better. She definitely wasn't ready to start climbing in the rigging or pulling any of her usual stunts but she could walk around most of the day without getting tired. Inside, however, was a different story. While on the exterior she appeared calm and quieter than usual, inside she was screaming and crying for all that had happened. She didn't know if the baby was Jack's or one of the brute's who had raped her but she knew it was hers and she would've loved it more than anything.

Every day was another hell. She had lost her child.

Then, after about two weeks, Elizabeth walked back in.

"Get up," she ordered.

"What? Why?" Anne asked, slumping back against the pillows.

With strength neither of them realized she possessed, Elizabeth yanked Anne out of the bed.

"No!" Anne said, sitting up from where she was sprawled on the floor. She crawled over to the foot of the bed but Elizabeth snatched her fingers away.

"No," Elizabeth told her. She walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a clean ivory cotton shirt and a pair of black trousers cut off at the knee. "Put these on. Whether you like it or not, you're going above deck."

Anne groaned, stripped, and put on the clothes Elizabeth had thrown at her. Then she grabbed her bandana and shucked her hair dark hair back into a ponytail. After this was done, Elizabeth grabbed her hand and dragged her above deck.

Anne squinted in the dazzling sunlight, gazing all around her at the crew working and the black sails billowing in the wind. Then she saw Jack at the helm. Wordlessly, she walked over to him and stood in front of him. He placed her hands on the wheel, then put his calloused hands over hers. Leaning back against him, Anne inhaled his salty sweet scent and in that moment she knew everything, somehow, would be okay.

* * *

Anne was still afraid to let Jack touch her anywhere below the waist. It didn't exactly help that she was still sore. She still felt tainted and sad at the loss of her child. Scars ran up her thighs and her stomach and her breasts.

Jack didn't push her but she knew he had needs. She knew he had needs. And she knew she was kidding herself to think he wasn't be exceptionally frustrated.

"Jack," she said hesitantly one morning.

"Aye?" he asked.

"Y-you know it's going to be a long time before-before I can, well, you know," she began. "So if you need to go to a whore, I understand."

He looked at her in disbelief. "I don't want anyone but you," he told her. "How could you think anything otherwise?"

"I don't know Jack," she said, her eyes tearing up. "I know how men are."

"Aye," he agreed. "But I love you and only you so if you want to wait, than I will wait with you."

Anne nodded, pressing her face into the warmth of his chest as he gathered her protectively in his arms.

"I've got a surprise for you, love," Jack told her, one morning about a week later.

"And what would that be?" she asked, placing her hands on his chest as they stood at the bow of the ship. She gazed up into his eyes with her piercing blue ones.

"That would be why they call it a surprise, savvy?" he said.

She pouted slightly and pushed him away. "Fine, have it your way."

"Well, see love, in order for this to be a surprise, you're going to have to be blindfolded for the morning," he told her, holding out a pale lavender bandana.

"No way, Jack Sparrow," she said, backing up.

"Captain," he reminded her. "Captain Jack Sparrow. And don't make me pull rank on you, savvy?"

"Fine," she said, submissively, letting him tie the fabric over her eyes.

As Jack pulled her hair out of the way, he saw an S shaped scar carved onto her neck.

"What's this?" he asked.

"They did it just after they captured me," she explained.

His jaw stiffened. "They will pay for that."

"Don't Jack. I don't want you hurt as well," she told him.

Although she couldn't see it through the fabric over her eyes, Jack clenched his jaw tighter and shook his head, thinking to himself, "They will pay no matter what."

"What am I to do if I cannot see?" she asked.

"Elizabeth will keep you entertained," he said. "Oi! Lizzie! See that Anne isn't bored to tears!"

Elizabeth smiled and guided her to a bench. "I'll read to you," she said.

Anne rolled her eyes behind the blindfold. "Fine."

For the next two and a half hours, Elizabeth read to Anne until her voice was hoarse and her eyes blurred from staring at the pages for so long. Finally, Jack walked over.

"You can stop now, Lizzie," he said, taking Anne's hands and pulling her to her feet. "C'mon, love. We best get going."

"Where?" she asked.

"To the rowboat," he told her, guiding her into the small boat.

Slowly but surely, he rowed them to the shore of the small island and helped her step out of the boat. After a walk up a short path, they were at their destination and he untied the blindfold.

"Oh!" she gasped, her mouth forming a small round O and her eyes growing wide. "Jack… it's beautiful!"

"Isn't it love?" he asked.

They were a on a small island. Bright tropical flowers bloomed everywhere, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. A crystal blue waterfall cascaded over the rocks, pooling near their feet.

"How did you find this place?" she asked.

"Having been in the Caribbean as long as I have, you tend to pick a few things up," he told her. "I thought we could go swimming, have a little picnic."

"Sounds perfect," she told him, immediately stripping completely.

Jack hadn't figured her for the skinny-dipping type with all that had happened but he soon join her in nakedness as they slipped into the cooling water. They splashed around in the water and under the falls. Anne stood on the rocks, letting the water pour over her, drenching her hair until it clung to her body like a second skin. Jack watched in awe of her scarred beauty.

Anne smiled looking down at him. "Come here."

And he did. He scrambled up onto the rocks and took her hands. Anne smiled at him and placed her hands on his hips. "I think I'm ready now."

And with the water pouring over them, they made love. When they were done, they lay under the falls for a while until the saw fit to walk over to the blanket Jack had spread over the ground and opened the basket of food. Both of them were suddenly ravenous.

After they had eaten, Jack took Anne's hands in his, suddenly serious.

"I meant to do this before but obviously I couldn't," he started. "Annalin Catherine Tailor. I love you more than the Pearl, my plunder, and rum combined. Will you marry me?"

Anne stared in shock for a moment, looking at the massive diamond ring he had slipped onto her finger. Then she threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately. "Yes!" she exclaimed with tears of joy. "Yes! I'll marry you! And we'll be the happiest pirates in the whole Caribbean!"

Jack threw his arms around her as they collapsed back against the ground. And they, well, I think you can guess what happened next.

* * *

Aww… I had to write some fluff… Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers, I love you dearly. If only more of you reviewed. (An average of only 2% of readers actually review)

I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible. I'm a little sidetracked due to a new fanfic that I'm working on. I may or may not post that soon. It involves typing and I don't like typing… so if you want it, make it worth my while.


End file.
